The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration has awarded $2.15 million to Central Michigan University for the construction of a state-of-the-art laboratory addition to the university’s Center for Applied Research and Technology (CART) Building.
U.S. Rep. Dave Camp and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development David Sampson presented the check to CMU President Michael Rao during a campus ceremony Oct. 19.
"This grant will help create new jobs that are high quality and good paying," said Camp. "But this project isn’t just about the 60 new jobs we will see in the short term or the 700 jobs we expect to create over the next 15 years. It’s about creating opportunities for our families, giving our students a reason to stay in the area and building toward a better tomorrow."
Technology-led, university-based research development strategies have the greatest potential for expanding the economy, said Sampson.
"Innovation lies at the heart of what will keep America’s economy performing at a high level," said Sampson. "Universities like CMU are engaging in technology transfer programs, connecting knowledge creation with knowledge commercialization. Congratulations to CMU’s faculty and staff in successfully competing for his grant."
Increased laboratory space will allow more research to take place within the walls of the 12,000-square-foot CART Building, freeing up campus space that is currently being used for CART-related research, said Rao.
"The federal government’s investment in CMU and the CART is greatly appreciated," said Rao. "Clearly, the word is out about the exciting and meaningful work that is taking place here. This grant will boost our capacity to contribute to the development of high-tech research and economic development, not only in mid-Michigan and Mount Pleasant but nationally around the world."
The new addition will provide laboratory space for Dendritic NanoTechnologies and MultiGEN Diagnostics, two research-based companies that are university partners in CART. The total estimated cost of the addition is $5 million. CMU also has received a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. for the project.
The CART, one of 11 SmartZones designated by the MEDC, is a partnership between CMU, the city of Mount Pleasant and Middle Michigan Development Corp. Managed by the CMU Research Corp., CART is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates research and technological developments between the university and private business. Businesses that choose to partner with CMU may access a range of resources, such as faculty and student researchers, advanced research labs, high-speed Internet connectivity, sophisticated software applications, and super computing capacity.
Posted October 25th, 2004
